The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-05


fact?
We call attention again to the re-
mark able fact that when Prof. W.
K. Jones, president Of the college,
went to the annual conference and
asked aid for the college, the con-
ference declined to give it because
it was not church property Then
it was 10 debt and i. was not profit
able to claim it. Now it is almost
free frou debt and The claim once
voluntarily denied is set up.
The trustees have never opened
their mouths to the public. The
conference has, through its agent,
made lengthy, labored statement
of its side of the case, had 1t pub
lished and bought armfuls of pa
pers and distributed them all over
the country. What for? To preju
dice the public mind? We will not
say that, for these are honorable
christian men and they protest that
the case ought not to be tried be-
fore the people but the court-at
ter having t4ied it before the PEG
pie on their owe statement. Even
the Christian Advocate says:
Before the case can be heard by the
chancellor great deal is printed in the
newspapers on the subject, and readers
of these journals would think that the
matter was one to be settled by eopu-
lar clamor rather than adiudicated by
a lawful tribunal. We deprccate this
method of settling the question.
1t "deprecates this method in
two-and-a half column Article which
itsel; is Intended to fix" the pub
lie mind and when it knows that
the country has been flooded with
papers containing the one-siGad
statement. If these christians gen
tlemen want the case tried by the
court, WAY do they flood the pub
tic with it? Why "deprecate" with
one hand and flood" with the
other.
Again, if the conference wants to
carry out the will of the testator.
why does it seek advantage OF the
law that excludes the positive proof
that the testator did not intend the
conference to have it? If it gets the
property 1t will be technical vic
tory in defiance Of right and in the
face of positive proof. Can the
conference afford to do that? There
are more than a dozen men perhaps
in Pulaski to day, the men who at
tended Mr.. Martin in his last sick
ness, the man who wrote his will.
the man who copied it, who will
swear today that he Told them he
did not wish to establish q demon
national school. But this is not
competent evidence before the
courts. The will must determine it.
And now comes the conference and
seeks advantage Of the ambiguity
of the will and the technical rue OF
evidence, and in tie lace of this ir-
refragable evidence seeks to seize 3
property that it once disOwned when
it came to it g suppliant in need
We should not be so emphatic
and plain if the matter had not
been so unjustly handled. Ia say
ing this we do not mean to attrib-
ute any wrong motive to Mr.. Dun
can. We have already acquitted
him Of that. We do believe, how
ever, that the Advocate has exceed
ed its mission and gone outside OF
its sphere in this matter. We have
rarely seen more arrogant, self
sufficient, 81 know it all and
you know nothing" sentence
than that with which it opens
the article:
Forasmuch as some have taken in
hand to set forth "the exact facts" in
the case OF Martin College, Pulaski
Tenn, and in daing so have practiced
the methods of the attorney rather
than the habits of the historian, il ha.
seemed good to the Christian Advocate
having perfect understanding of the
matter at issue, to say few plain
words.
And yet after this conceited as
sumption of exclusive knowledge Of
the true facts, it goes On in G. two
and a-half column article and make;
several glazing eros and negiects
to state various necessary facts
1t essays TO give the religious pre-
dilectiun OF the faculty and it gets
it's facts second handed and wrong
1t misstates DR.. Rivers very mate
rally. 1t does not state that OF tn
first nine trustees only five wer
Methodists and that now eight ar
Methodists. 1t does not state tina
the conference itself once distinct,
disowned it. And then the Advo
cate goes out of its way to make
sighting and ungallant fling at
faculty Of ladies as ppre in life, a
religiously devout, as refined an
accomplished as ever adorned sc
ciety-noble, loving, brilliant type
of the very highest order of woman
hood, and withal thoroughly and i
most remarkab BILE degree capacita
ted to the great wark they are DC
ing. 1t says ''They (the Mett
odists of Pulaski) have more s
stake than the continuance Oh pei
sonal administration Of some yer
clever ladies who have done yer
: well ina position they never shout
haye occupied"
, And yet With al this we do nj
believe DR.. Fitzgerald intends t
!. wrong Pulaski and her college an
+ her people. He does it on on
! sided view of the facts and blinde
s by worthy devotion to his churc
and to its correctional syste1
i The bequest was made to the of
/ GERS of the church at pulaski az
o the correctional idea that obtair
s in Methodism at once steps in
5 claim it on the principle that VIII
= belongs to one belongs to all. The
8 is 10 such rule know to civil la
and although it might justly